The last time I was in the Clarendon (80’s) my buddy Barry was the landlord. It was a nice pub but I never was a Cameron lover so did not visit too often. It is in a very good location if it is still there.
Thanks jmayuk for the info. At least they have not knocked it down, cos it is a wonderful building & perfect as a pub. Shame it is not still a pub, but who knows what can happen. It was a perfect location as the bookies was just across the road at the time so could watch racing on TV and nip across the road just before the off. I think Barry used to like the horses too…
I had a good friend who was a regular at the Clarendon I think he played the piano there for years but I am only going on hearsay, George Robson was his name and he was an Estimator at Ashmores at the time I worked there. I only visited this Pub once to see a friend behind the Bar Hazel Dalziel (Moody).
At school until I was sixteen then started work and got an education for life in the next two years before joining the army. The lads I worked with knew I was a dancer but it had been Church and School halls such as the William Newton and with live bands, they introduced me to the Palais.
The way to go I learned after an initial mistake of going to the Palais for the first dance and having almost all the girls to myself, I should first have gone to the pub? But I am only sixteen they will throw me out, no we will take you in the back room of the Clarendon you will be OK. Wrong on all counts, the Landlord seeing lads who normally drank in the bar taking a tray of drinks into the back room followed them in. one look, YOU OUT, so the first Pub I was ever thrown out of, many followed.
I say an education of life because we High School lads had a fairly sheltered life and suddenly I was among very hardened Boilermakers and their ilk. Lots of women and girls all on war work as the war still had a few months to go and they were tough as the men in many ways. I was in the Palais and this quite lovely girl came up saying are you going to dance with me Frank, I of course said yes wondering who she was and how she knew my name. We were well into the dance when she asked do you know who I am, no, I am teaching you to gas weld, I had only ever seen her in baggy overalls snood and goggles on her head, being young and raw I had never visualised her as a very attractive girl. You live and learn.
When I was home on leave and still going to the Palais I would call in the Clarendon for a pint and always asked if they were going to throw me out, one look at six foot of muscle was the decider, they were glad of the custom.
Frank.
Frank, being a boilermaker the two years prior to going in the Army you would of been nineteen years old, with your trade being a reserved occupation or did you not finish serving your apprenticeship?
Anon, It was 1947 when I joined and Brown’s had already had their allowance of apprentices put on reserve. They tried but failed, mind saying that I wanted them to fail as I did want to go. The Forces were losing men rapidly as those who had joined the forces later during the war had to sign for Five years, the Government thought the war in the East would go on for years, the five years were coming up and few re-signed.
As a Boilermaker I would have gone as a tinsmith but they discovered I could drive something most lads of my age could not do and they were very short of drivers then when the convoy had some breakdowns they discovered I could fix them and so that was it VM then Armart and up through the ranks.
My Dad had paid my Boilermakers dues all those years so when I joined ICI I was still a member and still am getting a Union pension, had to join the Staff section in Middlesbrough though. I got to WO1 and ICI wanted to use that skill to get Multi Trade working, my luck was still running when I got a graduates job and the pension I now have, all because Dad paid my union dues.
Frank
A view of the Clarendon Pub on Dovecot Street, Stockton.
Picture Stockton Archive 
The last time I was in the Clarendon (80’s) my buddy Barry was the landlord. It was a nice pub but I never was a Cameron lover so did not visit too often. It is in a very good location if it is still there.
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Barry Chesser was his name, anybody know what happened to him? Is he still around?
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Hi Terry, the building is still there but it’s now a different type of “local”, as can be seen in this 2013 post it’s now a local shop.
https://picturestocktonarchive.com/2013/11/13/the-clarendon-dovecot-street/
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Thanks jmayuk for the info. At least they have not knocked it down, cos it is a wonderful building & perfect as a pub. Shame it is not still a pub, but who knows what can happen. It was a perfect location as the bookies was just across the road at the time so could watch racing on TV and nip across the road just before the off. I think Barry used to like the horses too…
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I had a good friend who was a regular at the Clarendon I think he played the piano there for years but I am only going on hearsay, George Robson was his name and he was an Estimator at Ashmores at the time I worked there. I only visited this Pub once to see a friend behind the Bar Hazel Dalziel (Moody).
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At school until I was sixteen then started work and got an education for life in the next two years before joining the army. The lads I worked with knew I was a dancer but it had been Church and School halls such as the William Newton and with live bands, they introduced me to the Palais.
The way to go I learned after an initial mistake of going to the Palais for the first dance and having almost all the girls to myself, I should first have gone to the pub? But I am only sixteen they will throw me out, no we will take you in the back room of the Clarendon you will be OK. Wrong on all counts, the Landlord seeing lads who normally drank in the bar taking a tray of drinks into the back room followed them in. one look, YOU OUT, so the first Pub I was ever thrown out of, many followed.
I say an education of life because we High School lads had a fairly sheltered life and suddenly I was among very hardened Boilermakers and their ilk. Lots of women and girls all on war work as the war still had a few months to go and they were tough as the men in many ways. I was in the Palais and this quite lovely girl came up saying are you going to dance with me Frank, I of course said yes wondering who she was and how she knew my name. We were well into the dance when she asked do you know who I am, no, I am teaching you to gas weld, I had only ever seen her in baggy overalls snood and goggles on her head, being young and raw I had never visualised her as a very attractive girl. You live and learn.
When I was home on leave and still going to the Palais I would call in the Clarendon for a pint and always asked if they were going to throw me out, one look at six foot of muscle was the decider, they were glad of the custom.
Frank.
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Frank, being a boilermaker the two years prior to going in the Army you would of been nineteen years old, with your trade being a reserved occupation or did you not finish serving your apprenticeship?
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Anon, It was 1947 when I joined and Brown’s had already had their allowance of apprentices put on reserve. They tried but failed, mind saying that I wanted them to fail as I did want to go. The Forces were losing men rapidly as those who had joined the forces later during the war had to sign for Five years, the Government thought the war in the East would go on for years, the five years were coming up and few re-signed.
As a Boilermaker I would have gone as a tinsmith but they discovered I could drive something most lads of my age could not do and they were very short of drivers then when the convoy had some breakdowns they discovered I could fix them and so that was it VM then Armart and up through the ranks.
My Dad had paid my Boilermakers dues all those years so when I joined ICI I was still a member and still am getting a Union pension, had to join the Staff section in Middlesbrough though. I got to WO1 and ICI wanted to use that skill to get Multi Trade working, my luck was still running when I got a graduates job and the pension I now have, all because Dad paid my union dues.
Frank
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My grandad, Alf Brookes, used to drink here way back in the 50’s/60’s. He was a postman and I think he worked nearby.
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I have been carried out of this establishment many times.
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Started my 21st celebrations in here 1973 – then on to Titos
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